VK4 SILENT KEYS @ WIA YEAR FROM MAY 13 2023

SK CALL SK NAME DATE ADVISED BY

VK4OD PETER HARDING 10 JULY 2023 vk4bab

VK4SOA SYD ABRAHAMS 18 AUGUST vk4eka

VK4KCC GRAHAM ANDERSON 9 SEPT vk7ev

VK4CCF JEFF STINSON 1 OCTOBER vk4zz

VK4FZAK MAREE CHURCHILL 8 OCTOBER vk4djc

Hello, I’m Geoff Emery, VK4ZPP, and I’ve been thinking.

To all the members of the Scouting movement who have shared with us this weekend, I trust that you have enjoyed the experience and leave the JOTA/JOTI weekend having learned some new things.

I trust your time has been well spent and that we can join up again in 2024. In the meantime, if you would like to learn more about what we do please call your operator, or your local radio club or contact wia.org.au. via the website. We would love to keep our friendship going.

We have been reminded by the media and politicians of how much the cost of living has increased in recent times. Basic items like a packet of potato chips have jumped almost a dollar in shelf price at one discount grocery chain. That is just one example of a close to 30% jump in prices which I have observed. The weekly shopping basket is getting more and more filled with store brands and weekly special buys and lots of people will be looking as much to the news from the Reserve Bank, on Tuesday, as they will be barracking for a winner of the Melbourne Cup.

There are the favoured sites that people go to seeking a good buy and radio amateurs maintain a reputation for being very prudent with their money. Now, I wonder how many radio amateurs have been paying attention to the selling prices of second-hand gear. The online sites that I look over tell a sorry tale to me. The prices that people are asking for consumer electronics, and brown goods, let alone recreational gear such as CB and ham radios seem to go up as they age. Of course, we all know that items over 25 years old are vintage and must of course be valuable and collectable just on the basis of their age.

I have little doubt that some of the advertisers of these items also worry about the number of people joining the hobby. I have little doubt that many are amongst those who raised their hackles at the high cost of entry by way of exam fees and the price of new equipment. I also wonder how these sellers can reconcile the two attitudes and offer a more economic entry path to aspiring operators.

There are clubs that support new amateurs with loans of equipment while a new person gets the feel of amateur radio. The Wireless Institute gives free membership for newly qualified hams if they apply but sadly the person using initiative and researching their own purchases, in the second-hand market, too often are shocked by the Gordon Gecko maxim of “greed is good.”

Over many years I have heard stories of various money-making ruses used by so-called “reputable” amateurs. Buying books at a discount and charging full retail on delivery; picking up bargains at a Hamfest and adding a couple of hundred percent markup when they list the items online.

I feel these practices are counterproductive to growing this great activity. It would be wonderful to see sellers adopt a reasonable price regime for older gear and demonstrate a welcome to new members.

I’m Geoff Emery VK4ZPP and that’s what I think....how about you?

2023 Social Scene Clubs are welcome to submit text with audio for this section

VK - ALARAMeet2023 4/5 November in HOBART ([email protected])

VK - WIA AGM held MAY 4-5 2024 in BUNDABERG. (barc)